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that fuch was the origin of the Koran of Mahomet, we learn from Mr. Gibbon's. declaration that Mahomet during the month Ramadan in each year withdrew from the world to the cave of Hera, and confulted the spirit of fraud and enthufiafm." The fun and the air were darkened by reafon of the Smoke of the pit, when the falfehoods, contradictions, and fables of the Koran ufurped the place of the Gospel truths. And that the preaching of Mahomet brought on a fpiritual darkness, by obfcuring the light of Revelation, the fate of the Gospel in the countries ruled by his difciples fufficiently proves, without taking into the account the following words of the hiftorian, when describing the treatment of Chriftians dwelling in Mahometan countries." A decent reverence for the national faith is imposed on their fermons and conversations: and the facrilegious attempt to feduce a Muffulman will not be fuffered to efcape with impunity.—In a time however of tranquillity and justice, the Chriftians have never been compelled to renounce the Gospel or to embrace the

• Whitaker's View of the Proph. p. 119-121,
d Rev. ix. 2.

Koran;

Koran; but the punishment of death is inflicted for the apoftates, who have profeffed and deferted the law of Mahomet"." -Restrictions like these, and especially the laft, when laid upon the leffons of truth, amount to obfcuring it; though we add not the effect of other circumstances which have impeded the influence of the Gospel, and diminished the number of its difciples in the regions under the dominion of the Muffulmen.

As out of the fmoke came locufts upon the earth, fo the pretended divine miffion of Mahomet was the immediate cause of the Saracens overrunning the countries they infested; and the Hiftorian before quoted gives us fufficient proofs of the connexion between the doctrines they taught, and the conquefts they achieved; and of the facility of establishing fuch a connexion in minds fo ardent, and tempers fo enthusiaftic as thofe of his followers. "The Prophet of Medina affumed in his new Revelations a fiercer and more fanguinary tone; which proves that his former moderation was the effect of weakness: the means of

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perfuafion had been tried, the feafon of forbearance was elapfed; and he was now commanded to propagate his religion by the fword, to deftroy the monuments of idolatry, and, without regarding the fanc-. tity of days or months, to pursue the unbelieving nations of the earth?"—" From all fides the roving Arabs were allured to the standard of religion and plunder."

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Their intrepid fouls were fired with enthufiafm, the enjoyment of wealth and beauty was held out as the reward of their victory over Chriftians and idolaters, the picture of the invifible world was strongly painted on the imagination; and the death which they had always despised, became an object of hope and defire."

The King who led thefe vaft armies is not only mentioned, but emphatically defcribed as the angel of the bottomless pit, or abyfs, whofe name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue bath his name Apollyon. The title Abaddon is remarked by the learned Jofeph Mede to be an allufion to Obodas, the common name of the antient monarchs of that part of

* Gibbon, c. 50.

8 Rev. ix. 11. Arabia,

Arabia, from whence Mahomet came. Such in prophetical language was He who iffued from the abyss, or cave of Hera, to propagate his pretended revelations; fuch was He who pretended that he received his inftructions by the miniftration of the angel Gabriel, and who alleged a divine commiffion to justify bloodshed and destruction. Mahomet profeffedly declared, that his faith was not to be extended by miracles, or by any gentle means, but by force of arms. "The fword," faid he, "is the key of heaven and of hell: a drop of blood shed in the caufe of God, a night fpent in arms, is of more avail, than two months of fasting or prayer: whoever falls in battle, his fins are forgiven; at the day of judgment his wounds fhall be refplendent as vermilion, and as odoriferous as mufk: and the lofs of his limbs fhall be fupplied by the wings of angels, and of cherubim h." The whole courfe of his conduct was confiftent with these declarations, and his bloody career was marked by the facrifice of the laws of juftice and the feelings of humanity, to his revenge and his ambition. "He fought in perfon at

A Gibbon, c. 50,

1

nine battles, or fieges; and fifty enterprises of war were achieved in ten years by himfelf or his lieutenants.-The ufe of fraud and perfidy, of cruelty and injustice, were often fubfervient to the propagation of the faith; and Mahomet commanded, or approved the affaffination of the Jews and idolaters who had escaped from the field of battle."

and 66

calls them,

Under the banners of this DESTROYER, his fucceffors, went forth the armies of Arabs and Saracens like locufts upon the earth for their numbers and the rapidity of their progrefs; and like Scorpions of the earth for their venom, and their power to inflict the most deadly wounds. Gibbon Flights of Barbarians;" and the Arabian writers describe the followers of Mahomet as fwarms of locufts flying into a country to confume its productions. And yet they are commanded, that they should not hurt the grafs of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree." The locufts of the Prophecy are therefore not real, but typical locufts, and an historical fact will fhow how well this reftriction

i Gibbon, c. 50.

j Rev. ix. 4. applies

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